“Reclaimin’ Space: The Cost of Closing Eyes” is written by Rock Island, Illinois native Aubrey Barnes, also known as “Aubs.” Barnes performed at the 2022 Watershed Voice Artist Showcase in Three Rivers at the Huss Project, where he will return to perform in July.
Poetry
“The Black and White of Faith” is written by Rock Island Illinois native Aubrey Barnes, also known as “Aubs.” Barnes performed at the 2022 Watershed Voice Artist Showcase in Three Rivers at the Huss Project.
In this poem Watershed Voice columnist Aundrea Sayrie answers the age old question, when is it OK for white folks to use the “N-word?”
Disclaimer: This poem features strong language, and subject matter that may make some uncomfortable. Reader discretion advised.
Alek and Doug welcome poet, community activist, voice actor, author, and Watershed Voice columnist and board member Aundrea Sayrie. The long awaited interview with one of Watershed’s founding members doesn’t disappoint as Aundrea talks the origin story of Three Rivers Open Mic, her Black History Month series on WSV and why she decided to change the format this year, her ongoing health concerns and how they have changed her outlook on life, and an upcoming book she’s written about professional voice acting.
In the name of nostalgia and organizational history, we wanted to take a look back at the first annual Watershed Voice Artist Showcase before we look ahead to next week’s show.
A poem by Torrey Brown titled “June 19th, 1865” about Juneteenth: Freedom Day.
Alek and Doug return from yet another involuntary hiatus to chat with Rock Island, Illinois native and Creative Aubrey “Aubs.” Barnes. The trio talks about Aubrey’s latest published work “it is Written. it is Good.”, their hip-hop and rap influences, mental health, education, open mics, rap battles, and antiracism.
WSV’s Aundrea Sayrie celebrates the work of Shel Silverstein, and laments the banning of books at the expense of art and expression. “At times art is shocking, sometimes commemorative, sometimes controversial, still other times uncomfortable. That is the point of art.”
Poet and spoken word artist Madison “Mocha” Hunter drops by Keep Your Voice Down for a chat. Alek, Doug, and Madison discuss the poet’s current locale, Memphis, Tennessee, where she is pursuing a Master’s degree in creative writing and a certificate in African American literature, and how it compares to her previous stops in Alabama and her hometown Detroit. The trio touch on Afrofuturism, Black history and culture, fathers and their impact on us, the American South, subtle racism and the legacy of Fannie Lou Hammer. Madison also performs her piece “Fannie Lou Hamer: Appropriating Nikki Giovanni’s Rosa Parks,” which you can read on Watershed Voice.
WSV’s Madison “Mocha” Hunter shares a powerful piece she penned titled “Fannie Lou Hamer: Appropriating Nikki Giovanni’s Rosa Parks.”
In this piece, WSV’s Debbie Allen digs into the feelings and emotions that inspire her work, and offers a poem she penned titled “The Brilliance of Her Art.”
It’s often said it takes a village to raise a child but the same can be said about an independent, nonprofit news organization. During our Fall Member Drive we’ll introduce or in some cases re-introduce the people who make Watershed Voice what it is today.
Approximately 75 people braved the heat to attend the first annual Watershed Voice Artist Showcase in Three Rivers Saturday. Folks did their best to stay hydrated and were treated to performances from six unique and talented artists for what turned out to be a two and a half hour concert
Your favorite online news and culture magazine is trying its hand at live entertainment this weekend, and you’re invited. We’re turning The Huss Project into an outside concert venue to feature local artists, and raise money for Watershed Voice, so we can continue to provide local news and culture to the fine folks of St. Joseph County.
Doug and Alek are joined by Three Rivers poet and Watershed Voice Showcase opener Debbie Allen to discuss her upbringing in “old school” Philadelphia, her creative process, using poetry to work through pain and trauma, and the trials and tribulations of being a moderator for Three Rivers, Michigan Area Information.
In honor of National Poetry Month, WSV’s Aundrea Sayrie shares a poem she hasn’t finished and maybe never will.
“All Lives Matter” is a poem written by Three Rivers native Torrey Brown about the hypocrisy of detractors of the Black Lives Matter movement.
A poem titled “Learning to Fly” by Nancy A. Boyd.